


Hello from the Halperts

by moreawake



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, New Beginnings, Post-Finale, Screaming kids on planes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-03
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-11 14:58:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2072607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moreawake/pseuds/moreawake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pam starts a blog to keep their family and friends updated on their life in Austin. (Initially meant to be a series, but once the show ended, people abandoned the fandom pretty quickly.  This was a co-authored thing, but I'm just posting the two parts I wrote.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. August 9, 2014

**Author's Note:**

> Written shortly after the series finale, but I'm adding it here in case MTT ceases to exist.
> 
> Disclaimer: _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**August 9, 2014**  


Hello from the Halperts!

Things are starting to settle down here in Austin, and since we are so far away from everyone now, I thought I would start a blog to keep you all up to date on our family.

I'll start off by saying that we have been here just over three weeks now. The move went surprisingly well. All of our stuff arrived on time and intact, and we all made it here safely!

Jim flew to Austin a couple weeks before us, so it was just me and the kids on the plane trip down. I wish I could say that they were perfect angels, but I'm afraid that we were _that_ family on the airplane. In hindsight, I can laugh when Jim calls it my 'worst flightmare,' but at the time… oh boy.

It started out great. They were so well-behaved while we were waiting to board that I even got a couple compliments. I was so proud, but I should have known it was just the calm before the storm because almost as soon as we sat down on the plane, Philip began fussing. He was clingy and wanted to sit in my lap, but because he's two-and-a-half now, he needed to be in his own seat until we were in the air. Of course, he didn't like this. Normally, he is our mellow child, but because he is a mama's boy above all else, I had to practically wrestle him into the seat next to me, all while he was screaming like I was restraining him to be tortured and crying " _Mama, peas! No!"_ as loudly as he could. Needless to say, it was a little embarrassing. A flight attendant came by after a few minutes to offer a juice box and a cookie to calm him down, but Philip was so worked-up that he would have none of it; however, Cece, who had been sitting calmly the entire time, gladly accepted.

Eventually, after what seemed like forever but was probably _maybe_ ten minutes, Philip tired himself out. I was able to distract him with looking out the window as the plane went up, but then it was Cece's turn to act out. _She_ wanted to be able to see out the window, and it was _"not fair at all_ " that Philip got the window seat. Then her ears hurt due to the air pressure. Then she had to go potty, but the fasten-seatbelt sign was still lit, so we had to wait, and she wasn't happy about that. And _then_ , after I was _finally_ able to take her to the bathroom, we returned to our seats only to have Philip decide that he had to go to the bathroom, too. Cece stayed behind, and when we got back, I found that she had not-so-innocently buckled herself into the window seat, which upset Philip and started a fight that was ultimately resolved by allowing Philip to sit on my lap. The rest of the flight included a spilled soda, kids forgetting to use inside voices, more complaining about ears hurting, and the grand finale of Philip freaking out again over having to sit in a seat by himself for landing.

I love those two more than life, but never again will I fly with them alone.

Anyway, now that you have heard the story of our epic flightmare, like I said before, Jim flew down two weeks ahead of us. We thought it would be best to have him get everything settled and moved in so that it was less crazy and overwhelming for the kids, and I'm so glad we did that because by the time we got here, he and our friend Darryl had the kids' rooms painted, unpacked, and ready. It was perfect. Philip is still too young to care what his room looks like, but watching Cece walk into her room for the first time was a little bit like watching _Extreme Makeover: Home Edition_ , without the tears and screaming. She was _so_ excited for her new big girl room: pale blue-violet walls, a wallpaper border that matches her new floral comforter, and a sheer canopy-like curtain that hangs from the ceiling and drapes around her headboard. They did such a great job—and who knew my husband had such an eye for interior design? :P The highlight of it all, though, is definitely the mini art studio that Jim set up for her in one corner. All of her art supplies are neatly organized, and she has a little easel and table for all of her projects. She _flipped_ _out_ when she saw it and then quickly declared her bedroom "best room ever." It was so cute.

That said, our Cecelia is a very sensitive little girl and is having a bit of a hard time adjusting. Everything is fine in the daytime, but once she starts getting sleepy, she suddenly remembers everything that we left behind. She misses her grandparents, her Aunt Larisa and her Aunt Penny, her preschool friends, her dance class, and the old local playground. The other night, she even came into our room crying because she was sad that she didn't say goodbye to the ducks at Lake Scranton. We have had nights like that with her a few times a week ever since we got here, and it just breaks my heart. She's just too sweet for her own good. I think she is starting to come around, though. We Skype with the grandparents and aunts all the time, found a new playground, and just signed her up for a ballet class that starts in a few weeks.

Philip, despite his airplane antics, is still as easygoing as ever. I don't know if it's his personality or his age or a little of both, but there really hasn't been an adjustment period for him at all. He takes things as they come and is curious about his new surroundings, which means that I occasionally find him climbing into low kitchen cabinets, pressing buttons on the dishwasher, or playing with the springy doorstops in various rooms of the house. His favorite part in this whole move was the unpacking that we did during our first few days here. He insisted on "helping" take things out of boxes but ended up just playing with the empty ones after about five minutes; after about an hour, Jim found him napping inside a large one next to the living room couch. Oh, that boy cracks me up.

As for me and Jim, we're adjusting pretty well. We joke about how we're finally real adults now since it's the first time either of us has lived more than a few hours from where we grew up. So many unfamiliar faces and places can get overwhelming, though. It feels kind of strange and even a little unsettling sometimes, knowing that I can't just call my mom or sister or in-laws and have them come over. It's definitely an adventure, but Jim and I are figuring it out together. We are hoping that once we get everything unpacked, it will start to feel more like home.

We like our new neighborhood so far, though. It's in a really family-friendly area and close to everything we need. Jim's commute to the city is only about 30 minutes, and when Cece starts Pre-K at the end of the month, we'll even be able to walk to her school. (Side note: Can you believe my baby girl is already old enough for Pre-K?)

Jim started at Athleap full-time on Monday as Director of New Acquisitions, and then on Tuesday, he helped sign a major new client. He was so nervous that morning, but I knew he could do it. This has been his dream job since college, and I am so proud of him. I know I wasn't exactly a big supporter of this whole thing in the beginning, but we have both agreed that it really did turn out for the best. Waiting a year to completely jump into this allowed the company to gain its footing. Instead of Jim having to work pretty much 24/7 like he did when the company first started, he will be working a fairly normal schedule, with the occasional trip out of town. He had to work so hard when Athlead was in Philadelphia that the kids didn't see much of him at all, and I know it was really hard on Cece in particular. This week, we were lucky to have had him home for dinner and bedtime every night. From what it sounds like, it should become a pretty regular thing, so we are all happy about that.

The job hunt is still on for me. I've submitted more applications and resumes than I can keep track of, but I haven't even gotten an interview yet. To be honest, I'm not too discouraged because I'm really enjoying this extra time with Cece and Philip. I may not sit next to Jim every day at work anymore, but spending time with our kids instead definitely has its perks. Just like their father, they are both fun and funny, and as a bonus, I even get a nap during the day!

Anyway, this concludes my first Halpert Family blog entry. We love and miss you guys so much!

Love,  
Pam


	2. October 26, 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written shortly after the series finale, but I'm adding it here in case MTT ceases to exist.
> 
>  
> 
> **  
> Disclaimer:  
> **  
>  _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**October 26, 2014**

Hi everyone!

So before I talk about how my trip to New Mexico went a couple weeks ago, I'll start with what the kids have been up to because… well… guess who got a hold of some scissors yesterday and gave herself and her brother a haircut? I'll give you a hint; she's a blonde four year-old whose name starts with "C."

Yes, we have now experienced the joy (and shock) of the classic childhood self-haircut thanks to our sweet Cece. I left scissors out in the living room and then went to help Jim with preparing lunch. When I came back, I found her snipping away at the hair on top of her brother's head. I just froze because I didn't know what to do, but as soon as she noticed that I was there, she stopped what she was doing. She tried to play it off like it was a good thing, but she knew she was in trouble. When I assessed the damage, I found that in addition to a few short patches spaced over Philip's head, she had also cut a chunk of hair just above his forehead and chopped off random curls from her own head. I don't know if she thought we wouldn't notice, but… yikes. I am pretty confident that she does not have a future as a hair stylist. At this point, though, all we can do is look back, laugh, and wait for everything to grow out.

Somewhat related is that for the last month or so Jim has been growing a beard. It's funny because in all the years that I have known my husband, I had never seen him with anything more than a few days' worth of stubble. Now, though, he looks like a whole new man—a very attractive man if I do say so myself (especially because I know he reads this ;)). The kids' feelings on Daddy's beard are mixed. Cece doesn't like it because it's scratchy when he gives her kisses, but Philip thinks it's the coolest thing ever. I don't know if it's because he is a boy or what, but he is amazed by the whole concept of growing facial hair. Last night when we were tucking him into bed, he even took Jim's face in his little hands and asked, " _Daddy, when can I have a beard?_ " It was so cute (and so hard not to laugh right there in front of him because he pronounces it as "beer"). He was a little disappointed when Jim told him that it would be a while, but it was such a sweet moment between the two of them over something that only an almost-three year-old would take so seriously. And personally, I'm glad my little guy has a while before he and his daddy have matching "beers."

Next, I would like to congratulate my sister-in-law on her engagement! Larisa, we are SO excited for you! You and Matthew are such a fun couple, and we love you guys! :)

Cece and Philip are going to be the flower girl and ring bearer in the wedding, and while Philip doesn't really care or understand what that means, Cece is _beyond_ thrilled about her role and can't stop talking about it. It has even led to a bit of a wedding obsession for her. She wants to play "wedding" with her stuffed animals, and she has asked to look through our wedding album over and over again. We also have our wedding on DVD thanks to the documentary, and she has watched that a few times as well. She loves the flower arrangements and the dresses and _especially_ the veil. It's been so fun to share with her, even though she really already shared it with us back when it first happened. ;) Her comments about everything have been adorable:

" _Look! That's me in your tummy!"_

" _Daddy, why is your tie broken?"_

" _Mommy, you look like a princess!_ "

It's pretty cute, but it freaks Jim out a little, especially since Cece's closest friend at school is a boy. I understand it, though. He just wants his little girl to stay his little girl (which, in itself, is also pretty cute).

And now for details on New Mexico! First of all, the place where they held the retreat was _beautiful_. When I learned that it would be in a desert, I pictured lots of sand, tumbleweeds, and cacti, but I was pleasantly surprised when I got there. There were incredible rock formations, sunsets that look like they should be on postcards, and at night, I could look up and see a clear sky with hundreds of stars. It was so peaceful and inspiring, and I would love to take a family trip out there one day.

The retreat itself was kind of intimidating at first. Even though I'm _technically_ a professional artist now (I even have business cards!), I still don't quite _feel_ like one. I felt very out of place being around people with extensive credentials, experience, and formal art education, but during a mixer on the first morning, I ended up meeting a few people who felt the same way. We attended seminars, demonstrations, and couple classes together, and it made the whole weekend a really great time. I came out of it feeling the most confident I have ever felt as an artist, and I also learned a lot about how to handle the business side of things, which was an area that I previously knew basically nothing about.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go, but I was also surprised by just how much I missed my family after being gone only a few days. It was the longest I had ever been away from my either of my babies since they were born. When Jim came to pick me up from the airport, both kids were in the backseat, and Philip had _the_ biggest smile on his face. Like I've said before, he's such a mama's boy, and when I hugged him, he didn't want to let go. I sat in the back with him and Cece on the drive home, and when we got there, both kids presented me with pictures that they had colored. It was really sweet. And wow, can Cece draw. I mean, you can still tell that a small child drew the picture, but her lines are so neat, and she even figured out on her own that shading things in with two different colors of crayon gives the appearance of a new color. She's not even five! My kid is _clearly_ a genius! (What can I say? I'm a proud mama ;))

Unsurprisingly, Jim was able to hold down the fort just fine while I was gone. Surprisingly, though, I came back to a tasty crock pot meal and a house that was cleaner than I left it. Oh, I love him. Betsy Halpert, you raised quite the man.

Anyway, that's what has been happening in our world recently. Hope all of you are doing well!

Love,

Pam


End file.
